Utility vehicles and trucks handle differentlythan passenger cars in the various drivingconditions that are encountered on streets,highways and off-road. Utility vehicles andtrucks are not designed for cornering atspeeds as high as passenger cars any morethan low-slung sports cars are designed toperform satisfactorily under off-roadconditions.
Study your owner's manual and anysupplements for specific information aboutequipment features, instructions for safedriving and additional precautions to reducethe risk of an accident or serious injury.
All-wheel drive system (if equipped)
WARNING: Do not becomeoverconfident in the ability of four-wheeldrive vehicles. Although a four-wheel drivevehicle may accelerate better than atwo-wheel drive vehicle in low tractionsituations, it won't stop any faster thantwo-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive at asafe speed.
A vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive hasthe ability to use all four wheels to poweritself. This increases traction which mayenable you to safely drive over terrain androad conditions that a conventionaltwo-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
For all-wheel-drive vehicles, a spare tire ofa different size other than the tire providedshould never be used. A dissimilar spare tiresize; other than the spare tire provided ormajor dissimilar tire sized between the frontand rear axles could cause theall-wheel-drive system to stop functioningand default to front-wheel drive.
How your vehicle differs from othervehicles
Sport utility vehicles and trucks can differfrom some other vehicles in a few noticeableways. Your vehicle may be:
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As a result of the above dimensionaldifferences, Sport utility vehicles and trucksoften have a higher center of gravity and agreater difference in center of gravitybetween the loaded and unloaded condition.These differences that make your vehicle soversatile also make it handle differently thanan ordinary passenger car.
TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform Tire QualityGrading
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires. TheQuality grades can be found whereapplicable on the tire sidewall betweentread shoulder and maximum sectionwidth. For example: Treadwear 200Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades aredetermined by standards that the UnitedStates Department of Transportation hasset.
Tire Quality Grades apply to newpneumatic passenger car tires. They donot apply to deep tread, winter-typesnow tires, space-saver or temporaryuse spare tires, light truck or LT typetires, tires with nominal rim diameters of10 to 12 inches or limited production tires
as defined in Title 49 Code of FederalRegulations Part 575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Tirequality grades: The U.S. Department ofTransportation requires us to give youthe following information about tiregrades exactly as the government haswritten it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparativerating based on the wear rate of the tirewhen tested under controlled conditionson a specified government test course.For example, a tire graded 150 wouldwear 1½ times as well on thegovernment course as a tire graded 100.The relative performance of tiresdepends upon the actual conditions oftheir use, however, and may departsignificantly from the norm due tovariations in driving habits, servicepractices, and differences in roadcharacteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING: The traction gradeassigned to this tire is based onstraight-ahead braking traction tests, anddoes not include acceleration, cornering,hydroplaning or peak tractioncharacteristics.
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The traction grades, from highest tolowest are AA, A, B, and C. The gradesrepresent the tire’s ability to stop on wetpavement as measured under controlledconditions on specified government testsurfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor tractionperformance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING: The temperature gradefor this tire is established for a tire thatis properly inflated and not overloaded.Excessive speed, underinflation, orexcessive loading, either separately orin combination, can cause heat buildupand possible tire failure.
The temperature grades are A (thehighest), B and C, representing the tire’sresistance to the generation of heat andits ability to dissipate heat when testedunder controlled conditions on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel.Sustained high temperature can causethe material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessivetemperature can lead to sudden tirefailure. The grade C corresponds to alevel of performance which allpassenger car tires must meet under theFederal Motor Vehicle Safety StandardNo. 139. Grades B and A representhigher levels of performance on thelaboratory test wheel than the minimumrequired by law.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
*Tire label: A label showing the originalequipment tire sizes, recommendedinflation pressure and the maximumweight the vehicle can carry.
*Tire Identification Number (TIN): Anumber on the sidewall of each tire
providing information about the tirebrand and manufacturing plant, tire sizeand date of manufacture. Also referredto as DOT code.
*Inflation pressure: A measure of theamount of air in a tire.
*Standard load: A class of P-metric orMetric tires designed to carry amaximum load at set pressure. Forexample: For P-metric tires 35 psi(2.4 bar) and for Metric tires 36 psi(2.5 bar). Increasing the inflationpressure beyond this pressure will notincrease the tire’s load carryingcapability.
*Extra load: A class of P-metric or Metrictires designed to carry a heaviermaximum load at 42 psi (2.9 bar).Increasing the inflation pressure beyondthis pressure will not increase the tire’sload carrying capability.
*kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit of airpressure.
*PSI: Pounds per square inch, a standard
unit of air pressure.
*Cold tire pressure: The tire pressurewhen the vehicle has been stationaryand out of direct sunlight for an hour ormore and prior to the vehicle beingdriven for 1 mi (1.6 km).
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*Traction: The traction grades, fromhighest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C.The grades represent the tire's ability tostop on wet pavement as measuredunder controlled conditions on specifiedgovernment test surfaces of asphalt andconcrete. A tire marked C may havepoor traction performance.
*Temperature: The temperature gradesare A (the highest), B and C,representing the tire's resistance to thegeneration of heat and its ability todissipate heat when tested undercontrolled conditions on a specifiedindoor laboratory test wheel.
M. Maximum Inflation Pressure:Indicates the tire manufacturers'maximum permissible pressure or the
pressure at which the maximum loadcan be carried by the tire. This pressureis normally higher than the vehiclemanufacturer's recommended coldinflation pressure which can be foundon the Safety Compliance CertificationLabel (affixed to either the door hingepillar, door-latch post, or the door edgethat meets the door-latch post, next to
the driver's seating position), or TireLabel which is located on the B-Pillar orthe edge of the driver’s door. The coldinflation pressure should never be setlower than the recommended pressureon the vehicle label.
The tire suppliers may have additionalmarkings, notes or warnings such asstandard load or radial tubeless.
Additional Information Contained onthe Tire Sidewall for LT Type Tires
Note:Tire Quality Grades do not applyto this type of tire.
LT type tires have some additional
information beyond those of P type tires;these differences are described below.
A. LT: Indicates a tire, designated by theTire and Rim Association, that isintended for service on light trucks.
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Location of the Tire Label
You will find a Tire Label containing tireinflation pressure by tire size and otherimportant information located on theB-Pillar or the edge of the driver door.
Inflating Your Tires
Safe operation of your vehicle requiresthat your tires are properly inflated.Remember that a tire can lose up to halfof its air pressure without appearing flat.
Every day before you drive, check yourtires. If one looks lower than the others,use a tire gauge to check pressure of alltires and adjust if required.
At least once a month and before longtrips, inspect each tire and check the tire
pressure with a tire gauge (includingspare, if equipped). Inflate all tires to theinflation pressure recommended by us.
You are strongly urged to buy a reliabletire pressure gauge, as automaticservice station gauges may beinaccurate. We recommend the use ofa digital or dial-type tire pressure gaugerather than a stick-type tire pressuregauge.
Use the recommended cold inflationpressure for optimum tire performanceand wear. Under-inflation orover-inflation may cause uneventreadwear patterns.
WARNING: Under-inflation is themost common cause of tire failures andmay result in severe tire cracking, treadseparation or blowout, with unexpectedloss of vehicle control and increased riskof injury. Under-inflation increasessidewall flexing and rolling resistance,resulting in heat buildup and internaldamage to the tire. It also may result inunnecessary tire stress, irregular wear,loss of vehicle control and accidents. A
tire can lose up to half of its air pressureand not appear to be flat!
Always inflate your tires to therecommended inflation pressure evenif it is less than the maximum inflationpressure information found on the tire.Our recommended tire inflation pressureis found on the Safety ComplianceCertification Label (affixed to either thedoor hinge pillar, door-latch post, or thedoor edge that meets the door-latchpost, next to the driver's seatingposition), or Tire Label which is locatedon the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’sdoor. Failure to follow the tire pressurerecommendations can cause uneventreadwear patterns and adversely affectthe way your vehicle handles.
Maximum Inflation Pressure is the tiremanufacturer's maximum permissiblepressure and the pressure at which the
maximum load can be carried by the tire.This pressure is normally higher than themanufacturer’s recommended coldinflation pressure which can be foundon the Safety Compliance CertificationLabel (affixed to either the door hingepillar, door-latch post, or the door edgethat meets the door-latch post, next to
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Age
WARNING: Tires degrade overtime depending on many factors suchas weather, storage conditions, andconditions of use (load, speed, inflationpressure) the tires experiencethroughout their lives.In general, tires should be replaced aftersix years regardless of tread wear.However, heat caused by hot climatesor frequent high loading conditions canaccelerate the aging process and mayrequire tires to be replaced morefrequently.You should replace your spare tire whenyou replace the road tires or after sixyears due to aging even if it has notbeen used.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
Both United States and Canada Federalregulations require tire manufacturersto place standardized information on thesidewall of all tires. This informationidentifies and describes the fundamentalcharacteristics of the tire and alsoprovides a U.S. DOT Tire IdentificationNumber for safety standard certificationand in case of a recall.
This begins with the letters DOT andindicates that the tire meets all federalstandards. The next two numbers orletters are the plant code designatingwhere it was manufactured, the next twoare the tire size code and the last fournumbers represent the week and yearthe tire was built. For example, the
numbers 317 mean the 31st week of1997. After 2000, the numbers go to fourdigits. For example, 2501 means the25th week of 2001. The numbers inbetween are identification codes usedfor traceability. This information is usedto contact customers if a tire defectrequires a recall.
Tire Replacement Requirements
Your vehicle is equipped with tiresdesigned to provide a safe ride andhandling capability.
WARNING: Do not usereplacement tires with lower loadcarrying capacities than the original tiresbecause they may lower your vehicle'sGVWR and GAWR limitations.Replacement tires with a higher limitthan the original tires do not increasethe GVWR and GAWR limitations.
WARNING: Replace the wheelsand tires with the exact original brand,size and construction that cameoriginally on your vehicle. Use of any
other wheel or tire combinations, evenwith identical size ratings, may result ininsufficient running clearances, tirerubbing and eventual puncture. Failureto follow tire replacementrecommendations can lead to tire failure,loss of vehicle control, serious injury ordeath.
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WARNING: The use ofnon-recommended tires and wheelscould cause steering, suspension, axle,transfer case or power transfer unitfailure. If you have questions regardingtire replacement, contact yourauthorized dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING: To reduce the risk ofserious injury, when mountingreplacement tires and wheels, youshould not exceed the maximumpressure indicated on the sidewall of thetire to set the beads without additionalprecautions listed below. If the beadsdo not seat at the maximum pressureindicated, re-lubricate and try again.
WARNING: When inflating the tirefor mounting pressures up to 20 psi(1.38 bar) greater than the maximumpressure on the tire sidewall, thefollowing precautions must be taken toprotect the person mounting the tire:
•Make sure that you have the correcttire and wheel size.
•Lubricate the tire bead and wheelbead seat area again.
•Stand at a minimum of 12 feet (3.66meters) away from the wheel and tire
assembly.
•Use both eye and ear protection.
WARNING: Always inflate steelcarcass tires with a remote air fill withthe person inflating standing at aminimum of 12 ft (3.66 m) away from thewheel and tire assembly.
Important: Remember to replace thewheel valve stems when the road tiresare replaced on your vehicle.
It is recommended that the two fronttires or two rear tires generally bereplaced as a pair.
The tire pressure sensors mounted inthe wheels (originally installed on your
vehicle) are not designed to be used inaftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires notrecommended by us, may affect theoperation of your tire pressuremonitoring system.
If the tire pressure monitoring systemindicator is flashing, your system ismalfunctioning. Your replacement tiremight be incompatible with your tirepressure monitoring system, or somecomponent of the system may bedamaged.
Safety Practices
WARNING: If your vehicle is stuckin snow, mud or sand, do not rapidly spinthe tires; spinning the tires can tear thetire and cause an explosion. A tire canexplode in as little as three to fiveseconds.
WARNING: Do not spin the wheelsat over 34 mph (55 km/h). The tires mayfail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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Rotating your tires at the recommendedinterval (as indicated in the ScheduledMaintenance chapter) will help your tireswear more evenly, providing better tireperformance and longer tire life.Sometimes irregular tire wear can becorrected by rotating the tires.
Non-directional tires
Directional tires
USING SNOW CHAINS
WARNING: Snow tires must be thesame size, load index and speed rating asthose originally provided by Ford. Use of anytire or wheel not recommended by Ford canaffect the safety and performance of yourvehicle, which could result in an increasedrisk of loss of control, vehicle rollover,personal injury and death. Additionally, theuse of non-recommended tires and wheelscan cause steering, suspension, axle, transfercase or power transfer unit failure. Follow
the Ford recommended tire inflation pressurefound on the Safety Compliance CertificationLabel (on the door hinge pillar, door latchpost or the door edge that meets the doorlatch post, next to the driver seat), or TireLabel on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driverdoor. Failure to follow the tire pressurerecommendations can cause uneventreadwear patterns and adversely affect theway your vehicle handles.
The tires on your vehicle have all-weathertreads to provide traction in rain and snow.However, in some climates, you may needto use snow tires and cables. If you need touse cables, it is recommended that steelwheels (of the same size and specifications)be used, as cables may chip aluminumwheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snowtires and traction devices
•If possible, avoid fully loading yourvehicle
•Purchase chains or cables from amanufacturer that clearly labels body totire dimension restrictions.
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